Withering Rose Blog Tour: Five Reasons Why I Write YA!

Yesterday, I shared a post from the blog tour that is very close my to heart, all about strong YA heroines and why they should come in all shapes, sizes, and personalities! 

And today, I have another important guest post to share--five reasons why I write YA!

When I sat down to put the guest posts together for this tour, I looked back on topics I've discussed in the past, and couldn't believe I had never written about this before! Young adult literature sometimes gets a bad rep for poor writing, as though it's a fallback genre for authors. But IT ISN'T! And I can't emphasize that enough! I absolutely love writing books for teens, I absolutely love reading them, and I would never have it any other way. I listed five reasons below, but there are so many more, and they can all be summarized by four words--because I love it!

Writing books for young adults has always been my dream, and because of all of you amazing fans, that dream has somehow become a reality!

So anyway, I wanted to share this with you all, because it's been a long time coming :)

Five Reasons Why I Write YA!

I write young adult fiction and I'm proud of it! No shame. No struggle to admit the truth. Nothing but pride in my craft and in all the other books next to mine on the shelves! 

Readers and writers of YA are often met with derision, a fact I really can't wrap my head around. I've had people ask if I write YA because writing for adults is too difficult. I mean, really? There are so many stereotypes surrounding YA—that it's poorly written, not great literature, easy to read, dumbed down, simplistic, trashy, and the list goes on and on. 

So today, on the last promo post of this blog tour, I wanted to celebrate this genre and the reasons I LOVE writing it :)

1) Coming of age characters! Teenage years are the most emotionally charged years of anyone's life! More dramatic! More passionate! More intense! And I love writing characters who are in the thick of self-discovery and are still struggling through the highs and lows of becoming the person they are meant to be. 

2) Fast-paced plots! Personally, I prefer writing an arresting tale over a beautiful sentence any day of the week. YA novels tend to focus more heavily on enthralling plots and intriguing characters, and less on flowery prose. Whereas many adult novels have left me dragging to get to the end, I fly through most YA books. Do I want beautiful writing no matter what I read? Yes, absolutely! But I want that writing to come with an unputdownable story. 

3) No need for explicit anything! Okay, I'm a total prude—I'll admit it! I don't think I could write an explicit sex scene even if an enraged fan put a gun to my head! It's just not my personality. So I love that with YA there is no pressure to do so. I write a little bit of contemporary romance in addition to my YA, and this is a huge problem I struggle with in those novels that I don’t even have to think about with my YA work. 

4) Genre Blending is Encouraged! Take my new release, Withering Rose, for example—this series is a mash up of the romance, fantasy, fairy tale, and dystopian genres. And that's what makes it so much fun to write! Walk into any book store and it’s obvious that adult literature is very strictly categorized—romance over here, sci-fi over here, thrillers here, and literature here. But with YA, everything is mixed and there are no rules, allowing for much more creative freedom!

5) Constantly Evolving Trends! Similar to the above, the major trends in YA fiction are always changing and adapting. One year it is paranormal romance, and then the next gritty dystopian, then realistic contemporary. While I don’t write in order to follow trends, I do find them incredibly inspiring, pushing me to find a new way to look at a story or a genre!

What are your favorite things about reading or writing YA fiction?

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So there you go, the last guest post on this ridiculously fun tour!! On Friday, I'll be sharing a little wrap-up post with all the amazing reviews from the tour, because I just can't help myself :)

Withering Rose is available wherever eBooks are sold :) I hope you enjoy my novel!

               

There's only a few days left to enter the tour giveaway, so please do!!

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Withering Rose Blog Tour: There's More Than One Way To Be A Kick-Butt Heroine!

For those of you who have read my books, you probably know by now that I gravitate toward kick-butt heroines :) You know, girls with a take no prisoners attitude who might throw a punch a little too soon (um...looking at you Jade), put a stubborn foot down when maybe she's not supposed to (cough, Kira, cough), or, well, defy a murderous king who happens to be her father (Leena, you know who you are). 

BUT, and this is a very important but, not all girls need to be kick ass to be strong heroines. And I think YA tends to showcase one kind of strength far more often than other kinds, which is why Omorose is a character so close to my heart! Her sort of strength is quieter, more in need of coaxing, but it's there...

And instead of rewriting the whole guest post, let me just get to it! Clearly I'm impassioned about this subject, lol :)

There's More Than One Way To Be A Kick-Butt Heroine!

When I think of a "strong" female heroine, my mind immediately goes to someone who is kicking ass and taking names! Katniss. Tris. Rose. Alanna. Even in my first book in Once Upon A Curse, Gathering Frost, the main character Jade is an incredible fighter who is skilled with weapons and unapologetic on the battlefield. 

But when I sat down to write Withering Rose, a different sort of female came to mind. One who had magic, but didn’t want to fight. Who couldn't depend on muscles or physical prowess. Who preferred flowers and dresses to swords and crossbows. 

And I stopped myself before starting my outline, wondering if it was possible to be all of those things and still be strong? Does a heroine need to be able to drop kick her enemy or punch through a door in order to be considered tough?

No! Absolutely not!

Even though the trend in young adult fantasy has been these heroines with unimaginable power and incredible physical strength, I think it is important to remember that there are other ways to be strong! Just because a girl is feminine, doesn’t mean she isn’t strong. Just because she might lose to a boy in a fistfight, doesn’t mean she isn’t strong. Just because she is reserved, doesn't mean she isn’t strong. 

Omorose, the main character in Withering Rose, has been in hiding for her entire life and struggles to stand up for herself—does that make her weak? No, it makes her human. She has the power to bring nature to life and appreciates her magic for its beauty, not its deadliness—does that make her silly? No, it makes her compassionate. When she first sees the beast, her initial reaction is to run in fear rather than face him—does that make her pathetic? No, it makes her cautious. And none of those things are bad! 

What makes Omorose strong is her heart, her intelligence, her compassion, her emotions, her appreciation. Throughout the novel, she struggles to maintain her bravery and her courage, but can always depend on the quiet strength of her heart and her mind. 

And that's really what it comes down to. Strength is much more about what is on the inside—intelligence, cunning, resilience, determination, heart. And none of those things are determined by the force of a punch. Strong heroines can be quiet or loud, girly or boyish, emotional or detached. We fall for Katniss the moment she volunteers to take her sister's place, not the first time she wields her bow. 

All of my favorite female characters are united by two common strengths—self-reliance and self-respect. And neither of those are determined by the size of their muscles. 

Who are some of your favorite kick-butt heroines? Are they quiet or bold? What about them do you admire most?

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Check back in for more guest posts from the Withering Rose blog tour! I'll be sharing another heartfelt post that's close to my heart tomorrow, and then wrapping things up on Friday :)

Withering Rose is available wherever eBooks are sold :) I hope you enjoy my novel!

               

Enter the tour giveaway to help celebrate my new release! And, well, for a chance to win some Amazon gift cards!!

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Withering Rose Blog Tour: Three Ways my Belle is Different Than the One We Grew Up With!

Next stop on the Withering Rose blog tour is a super fun guest post all about how my main character Omorose is inspired by but also twists the Belle we all know and love!

Three Ways my Belle is Different Than the One We Grew Up With!

As a self-proclaimed Disney Princess groupie, I'll admit that I love each princess in her own special way and I wouldn't change them for anything! 

However, part of the fun of a retelling is taking some liberties :) After all, if you're not changing the story, than why bother? A retelling should be new and fun and exciting, while still paying homage to stories that came before! I mean, Disney movies are truly just retellings of the older fairy tale classics, and how much fun are they?!

So, here are three ways my beauty, Omorose, is different than Belle, the character I grew up with!

1) She has magic and a curse all her own! Omorose can bring nature to life with the flick of her fingers, but her magic comes with a price—a curse! Every time she uses her power, a little bit of her own life is taken away. 

2) Seeking out the beast is her idea! Omorose travels to the realm of the beast knowing full well who waits for her. There's no bargain in exchange for her father. Everything she does is of her own free will. 

3) Sorry, no inanimate object side kicks! When Omorose arrives at the castle, there are no talking candlesticks rolling out the welcome mat. She needs to figure everything out all on her own!

And now, because Belle is one of my absolute favorite characters, I also have to say three ways in which Omorose is the same—and no, beauty isn’t one of them!

1) The strongest thing about her is her heart! Not every kick-butt heroine needs to throw punches or wield a weapon. Sometimes, inner-strength is the most valuable weapon of all, and I believe Belle and Omorose both prove that. 

2) They both want more than this provincial life! Both Belle and Omorose are stuck in a role they don't know how to escape. They yearn for adventure, for someone who understands them, and they won't settle for anything less.

3) Curiosity and stubbornness for the win! Let's just say their minds might get them into trouble sometimes. Just little things like exploring wings of the castle you really aren't supposed to or standing up to an angry beast… 

What are your favorite parts of Beauty & The Beast? What would you change?

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Check back in for more guest posts from the Withering Rose blog tour! Lots more fun stuff to come, I promise :)

Withering Rose is available wherever eBooks are sold :) I hope you enjoy my novel!

               

Enter the tour giveaway to help celebrate my new release! And, well, for a chance to win some Amazon gift cards!!

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